Fame the Musical

Firstly, a huge welcome to Eaton Bank Academy, who have recently joined NODA. Their musical production this year was ‘Fame the Musical’, which was directed by Verity Porter. It must have been a logistical nightmare trying to figure out entrances and exits for such a big cast, especially when everyone was on stage! Verity ensured that everyone was in the correct place throughout. Having the ensemble come down through the auditorium in front of the stage was a great idea. The characterisations were well thought about throughout, with the major characters having their own individuality. The set was simple, with a raised platform at the back of the stage with a staircase. This allowed Verity to play with levels, which worked well, especially in the opening number with the teachers being positioned on this platform. The headshot backdrop was good as well. Costumes were good, and suited each character well. It was clear who the teachers were and who the students were, which costume helped distinguish.

The musical director was Sophie Walker. Sophie led the band well and it was great watching her conduct them. There was an obvious amount of work gone into the music, especially with such a large cast. The wall of sound coming from the stage was amazing.

The choreographer was Vicky Sheard. There were lots of varieties of dance within the production from ballet to more contemporary dance. The enthusiasm coming from the cast was very good, and everybody looked confident and comfortable with what they were doing. The Principal Dancers performed very well throughout. Well done.

Technical elements were well integrated into the production. The sound balance between the band and cast was good, with everything being heard. Lighting was also good throughout, helping to invoke different emotions.

Matthew Hampson gave a good performance as Nick Piazza. He had a good vocal, and was comfortable in his higher register. He created believable relationships with the rest of the cast, in particular Molly.

Molly Johnson worked well with Matthew, giving us a slightly ditzy Serena Katz. The will they/won’t they relationship was played well by Molly, who gave a good performance.

Harry Gill was suitably funny in the role of Joe Vegas. He had a suitable swagger, and a great accent. He really threw himself into his number ‘Can’t Keep it Down’, which was very funny! Well done, Harry!

Arran Johnstone gave a confident performer as Tyrone Jackson. He played the frustrations of not being able to dance the way he wants and his reading struggles well. ‘Tyrone’s Rap’ was well performed. Arran created good relationships with the rest of the cast.

Lucie Hodgson performed well in the tricky role of Carmen Diaz. She played the role sensitively and with great maturity. Her performance of ‘There She Goes’ was fantastic!

Lyra Skelding (Iris Kelly) and Kaylee Eddy (Mabel Washington) provided good support as the other dancing students. Both tackled their respective stories well, delivering good performances.

Ashton Elms did well as Schlomo Metzenbaum, creating a good character trying to get out of his father’s shadow. He worked well with his fellow band members, and created a good relationship with Lucie. His final monologue was delivered well, and Ashton got the emotion across.

Chloe Olsen (Grace ‘Lambchops’ Lamb) and Taylor Dakin (Goodman ‘Goody’ King) provided good support as the other musician students. They both worked well together, and created a good trio with Ashton.

Isla Johnstone gave a performance beyond her years as Miss Sherman. It was pitched perfectly, and she delivered two outstanding numbers. ‘These Are My Children’ was sincerely delivered and breath-taking. Well done, Isla!

The other teachers, Rosey Pemberton (Ms Bell), Lewis Robinson (Mr Myers) and Jake McCaddon (Mr Sheinkopf) all performed well. Each had an individuality about them, creating well-rounded characters.

The huge ensemble was used well throughout. Everyone knew what they were doing, looked happy and confident. Just remember that you all want to exit as quickly and as quietly as you can. There were a few moments, especially at the end of Act 1 and the end of the show, that some of the ensemble were chatting to each other and waving at audience members.

Overall, this was a very good production. It was great to see so many young people invested in this production. A huge congratulations to you all, and to your teachers!

A big thank you to everyone at Eaton Bank Academy for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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